Needy for Jesus

Good Afternoon,

Many of us would say, probably in a heartbeat, that we trust and need Jesus. But just how needy are we for Jesus? Really? Many of us attend church and probably even some serve in a ministry in the church when at all possible. Is it hard though to follow and serve Jesus in our 

small towns of east Texas? Probably not, but maybe. What if following Jesus was not an accepted norm in your community or your group of friends? Do you keep following and trusting? Maybe you are in a situation where your friends and family do not need Jesus? They may never say that in words, but their lifestyles scream it. Are you willing to follow and trust  Jesus when everyone else turns away? Do you need HIM that much? Many people who had been following Jesus turned away when HIS teaching brought them out of their comfort zone. Are you willing to trust and follow Jesus when HIS teaching takes you out of your or your family and/or group's comfort zone? Do you need HIM that much? What if God called you to circumstances that are painful that you do not understand or maybe they are just out of your comfort zone ? If Jesus were to ask you, 'Do you want to walk away also?', what would you say? Better yet, what would your life communicate in response to the question? 

See John 6:60-69 below for context.

JOHN 6:60-69

 ⁶⁰ Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?⁶² What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would ^[a]betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
 ⁶⁶ As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

But Lord, I thought you loved me

I am wondering if any of you have ever said or at least thought to yourself, God where are you, I thought you loved me? You might find yourself in between jobs at the moment and the bills are piling up, perhaps you or a family member are fighting a battle with cancer or some other long term illness such as alzheimers, possibly someone you love has wronged or betrayed you in some way, or maybe you have even lost someone to an illness or even worse they just walked out on you.

You have prayed and prayed and then prayed some more and your still waiting on the Lord to show up and fix things. And you ask yourself, Lord where are you, I thought the you loved me? There are two people in the New Testament characters, actual close friends of Jesus, himself, that shared a very similar experience.

John 11¹ Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” ⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Did you catch it? The word YET. Jesus loved this family YET Jesus still delayed. You may still be without work YET Jesus loves you, you or someone you love might be fighting a deadly disease YET Jesus loves you, you may feel abandoned or betrayed YET Jesus loves you. Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, never for one second doubt our Lord's love for you.  

If the Lord is delaying in your life, HE has the other person or your best interest in mind. Think on what this family would have missed out on if Jesus had not waited. (see below)                                                                                ³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.    Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Ephesians 3:18-19

¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I am not sure why God may have you waiting today, but I know He has a holy and divine reason. A reason that may be beyond yours or my own comprehension. For His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, that is for sure. (Romans 11:33-Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!) 

Take some time today to reflect on how God's waiting in the past turned out for the better in the end as well as to pray that the Lord would help you to grasp how wide and deep and high Christ's love for you, a follower and disciple of Christ, actually flows.

DO WE REALLY WANT HEALING?

See John 5:1-15


This morning, I read John 5:1-15, the story of an invalid who had been that way for the last 38 years, although, he was not born this way. I have been thinking about something Jesus asks the invalid, "Do you want to get well?" Many peope might ask why would Jesus ask such a thing. After all, WHO WOULD NOT WANT TO BE HEALED, RIGHT?!?! How many times do we say to others, ourselves, and to God I want to be healed? Maybe not from a physical ailment but maybe an addiction or hang-up, a needed attitude adjustment, or anything else we need to let go of. We say we want healing and wholeness, but do we really? I am not saying that as believers we will not struggle with sin at times and temptation is a fact of everyday life. Here, I am referring to long-term bondage, something that has us by the ankle and will not let go or should I say we will not let go, which comes in many forms. Before you are quick to say yes, take some time to do some deep inner inspection. Could it be that we do not really want to let go of whatever is causing you the problem(s) but rather we just do not like some of the side effects or consequences or that you got caught? Let's face it, our hang-ups and addictions do something for us or give us something we need or want, otherwise we would not be hanging on to them. Many times our attitudes, addictions, and hang-ups have become companions that we are comftorable with, faithful friends, even though at least some of the things that accompany them are not wanted or comftorable. We need to search ourself (Lamatations 3:39-42) and ask God to help us examine ourselves for the heart is decietful and who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9-10). May we discover the true source of our appetities (desires) and let our heavenly Father fill our appetities with what He sees fit instead of the empty and worthless cisterns that we refuse to let go of (Jeremiah 2:5).

REMEMBER GOD IS SUFFICIENT FOR ALL THINGS!!! PSALM 103

Side Note: The invalid's injury had apparently been caused in some way by sin in the invalid's life when he was young (John 5:14). Just like the man's sin led him into physical bondage, our sin can lead us into emotional and spiritual bondage and maybe even physical bondage like the invalid.

Texas Heat Wave in August

Good Afternoon,

I hope you guys are staying cool out there. As I was driving to work this morning, I was listening to the people on the radio to talk about it getting to 108 degrees this week, whew, I hope you are drinking plenty of water. Speaking of the Texas heat, we have all had times in life when in the middle of life circumstances or our situations have felt like a Texas day at 108 degrees. Life definitely has its share of 108 degree days. Thankfully, we as believers have hope, when life gets hot, we have an unlimited supply of water and not just any water but living water. When life makes us sweat, our throats become dry, and we feel like were about to pass out from heat exhaustion let us quench and refresh ourselves through and in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Be still, open the Word, and sit before the Lord and let Him pour into you, to restore the places that have been scorched by the fires of life.

John 7:37-38

 ³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

the importance of men praying for each other

May we men, brothers, spiritual warriors in training, believers and followers of Jesus Christ, ALWAYS WRESTLE, or fight, FOR EACH OTHER IN PRAYER.


Colossians 3:12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

His ways are higher than our ways

Pain & Suffering

LUKE 22:39-44

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

The ministering angels were not sent to deliver Jesus from His pain or make Him feel all happy and better inside but rather to strengthen Him. Jesus had to still go through the trial. May we remember that
when our brothers & sisters are going through painful trials that we can not minister there pain away yet we can encourage them to keep going while not forgetting their pain.